Bishop Guilfoyle Turns Stops into Scores in 49-7 Win Over Central

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Hunter Myers | September 20, 2025

ROARING SPRING — A day that felt more like mid-August than late September led to a game where Bishop Guilfoyle’s defense set the table for their offense all night en route to a 49-7 win on the road against the Central Dragons.

While the age-old trope “defense wins championships” may not always be true, tonight it definitely helped Bishop Guilfoyle cruise to a win, by giving the offense short fields to work with. “In high school, if you can start at a short field, you’re going to get more points than you’re not,” head coach of the Marauders, Justin Wheeler had to say after the game. The Marauders certainly scored as a result of the short fields, as their average starting position on their six touchdown drives was the Central 36-yard line. Bishop Guilfoyle forced three interceptions and four three-and-outs, which allowed the Marauders’ run game to get into a rhythm.

“Our skill guys have been improving every week and people are starting to see we have talent at a lot of positions,” Coach Wheeler stated, following an impressive performance where four rushers gained more than 30 yards and five found the end zone on the ground. In the first half, it was all Jake Kissell, as the do-it-all TE had two touchdowns, silencing the packed Roaring Spring Athletic Field and stunning the home sideline, giving the Marauders a 20-0 halftime lead. Kissell ended his night with a pair of scores, 51 rushing yards, and 44 yards receiving. While the score looked lopsided at the half, the game felt much closer, as Central’s defense held its own against the experienced BG line.

Central held the Marauders to just three points through the first quarter, allowing only 91 yards, less than a quarter of BG’s offensive output for the evening. Throughout the first half, Central’s front seven turned in solid bend-but-don’t-break defense with LB Cole Marks, DB Kaden Horn, and DL Ethan Stern plugging the holes. In the third quarter, Stern found his second fumble recovery in as many weeks; however, this wasn’t enough to slow the Bishop Guilfoyle onslaught that began at the 10:12 mark of the third quarter.

Coach Justin Wheeler said, “our message at halftime was about finishing drives and getting points. Against good teams you have to make sure you put it away if you get the chance.” Put it away they did, as the Marauders scored 22 points in the third quarter, extending their lead to 42-0 before entering the final frame.

QB Justin Wheeler showed his athleticism by crossing the field and rushing for a 52-yard touchdown, sending the Guilfoyle fans into a frenzy, to start BG’s explosive third quarter swing. Later in the quarter, Wheeler would add a 29-yard run which set up a three-yard run from Connor Okonak. Wheeler, still just a sophomore, passed for 142 yards and added 84 more with a rushing touchdown, as the Bishop Guilfoyle offense fired on all cylinders.

Central’s offense showed promise early, as they moved the ball effectively with screens and quick passes. Once again, their turnovers and inability to get the ball into the red zone ended their drives early and often. Dragon fans who stayed to the end were treated with a late scoring drive, as the Dragons returned to the screen game, driving 88 yards, capped off with a JJ Moushlian 25-yard touchdown reception, to gain some momentum before the final buzzer.

As the Dragons fought to the final whistle, they have some positives to take away. Their pass game was much improved and their defense hung tough against a championship-level offense. The Marauders continued to roll, picking up their second win in a row, while scoring three touchdowns of 20 yards or more. Their defense looked stout, allowing only 21 points across their last two games. As the season heads into the second half and the weather begins to cool off, BG will aim to keep improving its already potent run game and extend its trend of turning stops into scores.

Next week Bishop Guilfoyle (4-1) hosts Tyrone (3-2) at home, while Central (1-4) will face off against Huntingdon (4-1).

Scoring Summary:

Bishop Guilfoyle – 3 – 17 – 22 – 7 — 49

Central – 0 – 0 – 0 – 7 — 7

1st Quarter:

#33 C. Boland 37 yard field goal. Bishop Guilfoyle 3-0 6:44

2nd Quarter:

#8 J. Kissell 7 yard rush. Bishop Guilfoyle 10-0 7:01

#8 J. Kissell 5 yard rush. Bishop Guilfoyle 17-0 1:46

#33 C. Boland 34 yard field goal. Bishop Guilfoyle 20-0 0:05

3rd Quarter:

#2 J. Wheeler 52 yard rush. Bishop Guilfoyle 27-0 9:11

#25 C. Okonak 3 yard run. Bishop Guilfoyle 35-0 5:21

#9 K. Hewitt pass from #2 J. Wheeler for 8 yards. Bishop Guilfoyle 42-0 0:51

4th Quarter:

#1o J. Moushlian pass from #2 C. Schenk for 25 yards. 7-42 Central 7:33

#4 T. Lawson 20 yard run. 49-7 Bishop Guilfoyle 3:50

Box Score:

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